The art of displaying an image by dividing it into a large number of picture elements (pixels), and then acting on each element to modify its optical properties is well known. This technology has culminated in a number of methodologies including, cathode ray tubes, liquid crystal displays, electroluminescent displays, and gas discharge displays. Flat screen geometries have been achieved in all of these technologies.
Nevertheless, each of these technologies has its shortcomings for different applications.
Electroluminescent displays are limited in screen brightness while liquid crystal displays must be viewed from a restricted angle. Gas discharge displays are still expensive. With the advent of higher critical temperature superconductors, and in view of developments summarized in the co-pending applications entitled respectively: "Superconducting Mirrors", "Switchable Superconducting Mirrors" and "Electronic Modulation of Magnetic Fields", a new technology involving switchable superconducting pixel arrays may eventually find applications in display technology.
Similarly, in the prior art there is no known method in which magnetic fields can be easily controlled in an array format point by point, thus providing a spatially and temporally controlled magnetic field pattern on a surface directly from an electronic data processing system. This except in the art of magnetization of magnetic media (like in magnetic computer memory devices) where the mechanical movement of a magnetizing device must be used and where the resulting field variations are extremely weak.
I have found that superconducting pixels can be employed as an array, with each superconducting pixel switchable at will, by techniques taught in a co-pending Application entitled, "Switchable Superconducting Mirrors" thus creating images when the superconducting pixels are functional mirrors, or magnetic latent images when no external illumination is used, as taught in yet another co-pending Application entitled "Electronic Modulation of Magnetic Fields".